740.00119 Control (Germany)/12–1848: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom
4705. For Douglas from Lovett. At National Security Council Meeting Thurs I stressed to meeting great importance to our foreign policy of airlift Berlin. NSC concurred completely in this view and asked Pres send Xmas Greetings those engaged in airlift as indication of nations’ appreciation.
Pres yesterday approved procurement of 23 transport planes to replace C–54’s worn out on airlift which indicates this country’s determination support airlift over long period.
There is great concern here arising from reports Paris on currency negotiations and of Bevin’s view concerning changeover of currency that we may have great effort and cost to US of airlift, and all western democracies’ position dependent thereon, partially or wholly neutralized by piecemeal and procrastinating economic and financial action or inaction. I am furnishing you this info on NSC action in relation to this concern in hope it may be helpful in UR [your] conversation with Bevin re our 4845 to Paris, repeated to you as 4692 and Jessup’s Delga 1199 rptd London as 1480.1 I think time has come to make decision to introduce western zone currency on 10 January and for Brit and US to urge on French in strongest terms.
- Neither printed; they reported on activities of the neutral committee which the Department felt might undermine the position of the western powers in Berlin through piecemeal concessions (501.BC/12–1748 and 740.00119 Control (Germany)/12–1748).↩